At the present time it is typical to anchor a boat at a shoreline with the use of an anchor such as a “fluke” boat anchor. These types of anchors, as well as other anchor constructions, provide edges or projections that present an unsafe situation. Beachgoers who are walking by present an unsafe situation. Beachgoers who are walking by, or children who are playing on the beach (sand bar, tidal flats, etc.) where boats are anchored may cause injury to their toe or foot when they accidentally stumble over this extremely pointed anchor construction. Also, the anchor is typically stored in the boat and this causes a further problem in that the anchor has sharp edges, points or projections and thus can provide an unsafe environment when it is stored. Moreover, the anchor, when mishandled, can cause damage to the boat itself. These anchors are typically made of a heavy gauge steel, with jagged, pointed, angled and sharp edges. Due to these exterior surfaces of the anchor, scratching, gouging, poking and tears of vinyl seats and fiberglass surfaces are common occurrences when moving this type of anchor in and out of the vessel.
Coverings and bras for anchors do presently exist such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,524,569 to Rich et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 7,377,227 to LaRoche. However, these products are ineffective in that they do not provide a complete covering of the anchor. Moreover, these products are primarily for use only when the anchor is positioned at its usual location on the vessel.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a cover for an anchor, particularly for a fluke-type boat anchor. The cover of the present invention protects the anchor and, more importantly, protects any adjacent people or users from damage by engaging with or tripping over the anchor. The anchor has universal use in that it can be used both on-board a vessel, as well as on-shore.